Field Notes

The Complete Heat Frac Blog

Frac water heating, fuel efficiency, and cold-weather completions — straight from the pad.

Frac Water Heating

What a Complete Heating Quote Should Include Beyond the Day Rate

A day rate tells you what the equipment costs, not what the program costs. Here are the nine things a complete frac water heating quote should include.

Frac Water Heating

Who Actually Has the Authority to Fix a Heating Problem at 2 AM?

Every heating vendor has an after-hours number. The real question is whether the person who answers it can actually authorize a fix without waking someone else.

Frac Water Heating

Average Temperature Is the Wrong Number to Plan Your Heating Program Around

A 20-degree average does not mean the job runs at 20 degrees. Here is why overnight lows and wind exposure, not seasonal averages, should size a PRB heating program.

Frac Water Heating

What "The Heater Is Running" Doesn't Tell You

A heater that is operating is not the same as a heating plan that is keeping pace with the job. Here is what to actually watch for once equipment is running.

Frac Water Heating

What a Winter Heating Contingency Plan Should Cover Before the First Cold Night

A frac water heating plan that only works when nothing changes is not a real plan. Here are the seven things a winter contingency plan should cover.

Frac Water Heating

Natural Gas on Location Does Not Automatically Mean It Is Ready to Burn

Field gas at the wellsite is not the same as fuel your heating equipment can run on. Here is what has to happen before natural gas is burn-ready.

Frac Water Heating

The Frac Water Heating Readiness Check That Should Happen Before Mobilization

Mobilization day is the wrong day to find out something was never confirmed. Here is the 8-point readiness check that should happen before the heater leaves the yard.

Frac Water Heating

Why PRB Heating Vendor Lists Lock Earlier Than Operators Think

Most PRB heating programs lock their vendor lists in August or early September — not October. Waiting for cold weather narrows the field and locks in fuel cost assumptions that were never fully compared.

Frac Water Heating

Free Heating Cost Audit: What PRB Operators Should Review Before Fall Programs Lock

A heating cost audit helps PRB operators compare fuel source, BTU output, runtime, and total program cost before vendor lists close for fall and winter frac programs.

Frac Water Heating

Frac Water Heating Cost Per Well: What Operators Actually Pay

Day rate is only one part of frac water heating cost. Fuel source, BTU output, runtime, and efficiency can change the total program cost fast.

Frac Water Heating

Field Proof: What PRB Operators Should Look for in Frac Heating Equipment

Field photos are useful, but they do not tell the whole story. Here is what PRB operators should ask when evaluating frac water heating equipment, output, fuel use, and basin experience.

Frac Water Heating

The Old Efficiency vs. Reliability Tradeoff in Frac Heating Is Outdated

Operators have reason to question efficient frac heating equipment if they have seen downtime before. But fuel savings and reliability do not have to work against each other when the equipment is built right and operated by people who know it.

Frac Water Heating

Why Barrel Count and BTU Output Matter in Frac Water Heating

Barrel count, BTU output, fuel source, and runtime all affect frac water heating cost. Here is what operators should compare before choosing a heating vendor.

Frac Water Heating

Converted vs. True Tri-Fuel Heating Equipment: Why the Difference Matters

Not all tri-fuel frac water heating equipment performs the same. Learn why converted units can lose output on natural gas and what operators should ask before choosing a heating vendor.

Fuel Efficiency

Why Tri-Fuel Frac Water Heaters Cut Fuel Cost in Half

Running propane or natural gas instead of diesel on a 32M BTU heater changes the economics of every winter frac job. Here is how the math works out on a typical Rockies pad.